Kanto
by Time Turned Fragile
Summary: First in a 5 part saga. I'm not all that experenced in writing Pokemon fics, so Constructive critisism is graciously accepted. Character Renard belongs to me, Character Zane to Shadow Shinobi 57 and Character Ronan belongs to a non-writer.
1. In Which The Two Heroes Meet

It was the big day. Renard yawned, then got out of bed. "That Turtwig is mine..." He thought. Dressed in a white t-shirt, a blue jacket, and his favorite durable pair of Jeans, he walked toward the living room.

"Well, I guess all boys leave home someday..." His mother said as she noticed him coming down the stairs. Before Renard could say a word, she continued "Please, be careful, and avoid the tall grass on the way to Oak's" She said, giving Renard a hug. Renard smiled, promised he'd visit often, then walked out the door. Oak lived just down the street in the small town of Pallet. Recently, there were more people moving to the small town ever since they heard about Red being the champion. There were at least 12 kids starting their journey that day. Renard smiled high, said goodbye to the neighborhood stray, then walked the path to Oak's lab. The air was crisp and cool, the sun shined through the leaves and sparkled through the morning dew, giving everything a green tint and optimistic attitude. The road to Oak's was riddled with trees, fences, and houses belonging to the flood of new neighbors. Finally, the building came into view. It was long, tall, and there was a small group forming around the outside.

"You're late! I can't believe you! I'm fining you Ten million!" Barry said, tapping his foot and fiddling with his new Poketch. "So is that new kid..." He said. Renard noticed everyone else had arrived and were waiting for Oak to open his doors to the trainers. "There he is... Zane, I think. Oh, man! I'm fining him one-hundred million..." Barry said. Sure enough, a boy with long shoulder-length silver hair with a few red stripes here and there, a black trench coat, and a pair of black jeans came into view. He walked right past everyone, then knocked on the lab doors.

"So, who is Oak?" Renard asked. "I've never really seen him. My mom said he's an authority on Pokemon..."

"Oak's the greatest Pokemon professor. He's also a top notch expert on Pokemon. I wouldn't expect you to know that, though," Zane retorted in a know-it-all voice. Renard looked at him uneasily as he knocked again.

"He's not here..." Barry said in a sing-song tone.

"He lives here.." Zane replied with a cynical tone. Sure enough, the doors opened, revealing an aged man in a white scientific. Barry gasped, then chuckled sheepishly as Zane and the professor led everyone inside

* * *

"Welcome to my lab," the professor began. "I'm professor Oak, and here's where we study Pokemon. Back in my youth, I used to be a top notched trainer... But, I'm getting on in my years, and I still get as much of a thrill seeing new trainers and their first Pokemon." He began his lecture on types, safety, items, leveling up, and evolving. After the two-hour-long lecture was over, and the children were bored to tears, Oak brought out a table with just enough Pokemon for everyone. "Choose wisely. This will be your partner for your fantastic journey! Every one of those Pokemon will have a special surprise. I suggest getting to know them a bit before drastic measures are taken." Oak said. Renard ran up to the table, then grabbed the Pokeball he was sure was Turtwig. He lifted it up, then noticed he was staring into the face of Zane, who also had a grip on the Pokeball. Renard chuckled, then gave the ball a sharp tug. Zane laughed, then pulled on the Pokeball. Soon, the two were tugging and arguing ferociously.

"It's mine..." Renard said, pulling with all his might.

"No, It's MINE" Zane yelled, pulling with both hands. Suddenly, a red laser-like light shot out of the Pokeball, forming an odd shape.

"Squirtle!" the Pokemon cried out. Both Renard and Zane looked at each other, then chuckled. Barry instantly swept up the Squirtle. It was then that the duo noticed name tags on the bottom of each Pokeball. Renard quickly found his Turtwig, and Zane had found his Torchic. Zane pulled out the Torchic Pokeball, then watched as a blue light enveloped the Torchic. Zane grabbed something from his pocket. It was a black ball with vertical silver lines and a scarlet button. He pressed the button, allowing the Torchic to be captured. The ball shook three times before a "click" sound was heard.

"Whoa... Where can I get one of those?" Barry asked, grabbing the ball from his hands.

"It's one of our ideas to prevent Pokemon theft. There are still a few kinks to work out, but it works," Zane said, snatching the ball back. He shifted his gaze toward Renard, who was now staring back. The air was thick with electric tension as the two took their starters out of their ball. "I made them with my dad... Watch this." Zane smirked, then called out Torchic. The Torchic came out of the Pokeball surrounded by blue flames and there was suddenly a 'Z' on its chest.

"Go, Turtwig!" Renard yelled out. "Use Tackle!"

"Counter it with Scratch!" Zane commanded. Turtwig slammed straight into the Torchic, sending it flying backwards. The Torchic's talons started to glow blue, then it started scratching the Turtwig with all of its might. Oak just sighed, then grabbed the Torchic.

"That's enough. Though I advise Pokemon battles, I also advise getting to know your Pokemon a little better before attempting to battle," Oak said. He placed the Torchic back on the ground, then turned to Zane. "You have quite the remarkable invention, there. So, it adapts itself to the Pokemon's nature..."

"Y-yes sir..." Zane said, placing his Torchic on the ground. "But other than that, it's no greater in strength than a Ultra Ball..."

"Hey! I was going to battle Zane!" Barry complained.

"You'll get your turn... I have a suggestion. You two should journey together!" Oak exclaimed. Renard and Zane stared at each other for a few seconds, then looked at Oak.

"...HIM?! Are you NUTS?!" they both yelled, pointing at each other. Oak nodded, then walked over to the phone on his desk. After a few minutes of conversation, he hung up, then dialed another number. There were some choice words exchanged, then the phone was hung up again. All the while, Barry remained sulking and Renard and Zane were left arguing.

"I'm traveling by myself. You can't physically make us travel together..." Renard snapped.

"I can't, but your parents can!" Oak smiled. He handed everyone a Pokedex, then watched the flood of children burst out the door and head on their own adventures. Zane and lance stood there, gaping and pointing at each other with a Pokedex in their unoccupied hand. "Run along. I'm sure your parents would like to say goodbye."

* * *

The sun beat down on the duo as they walked along the route. Renard sighed, then sat at the base of a tall, shady Willow. "Come on out, Turtwig..." He said, allowing his Turtwig to rest beside him. Zane sighed, then sat near Renard. His Torchic popped out of its ball in a flurry of blue flames. Before long, the Torchic and Turtwig were getting along and chasing each other around like children. Just then, a Pidgey walked out of the tall grass then approached the group.

"That's a Pidgey..." Zane said, pulling out his Pokedex.

"Pidgey," the Pokedex rang out in a monotonic voice, "the tiny bird Pokemon. It has an extremely sharp sense of direction. It is capable of unerringly returning home to its nest, however far it may be removed from its familiar surroundings." Zane closed it, then pulled a Pokeball out of his pocket. However, before he could throw his unique Z-Ball, a red-and-white Pokeball flew from the opposite direction. It shook three times before standing still. Renard smirked, then watched one of the beginning trainers pick up the Pokeball, and swoop up her Treecko.

"Wow... Pidgey is so cool..." Renard said, showing off his Pokedex. "It eats bugs... I've got to get one..."

"You sure? Pidgey isn't all that great..." Someone said. "My bro had quite a few. Never really worked out with him..." Renard turned around, then noticed a boy standing right next to the tree. He had light brown hair, a green shirt with a blue vest, and a pair of long brown shorts. He grabbed a Pokeball from his belt, enlarged it, and then held it out in front of him. "Name's Joe. I'm kinda interested in a battle. Why fight random wild Pokemon when you could battle a trainer and make 'em stronger that way!"

"Well, let's go," Zane said, becoming his Torchic. "Renard, you stay put. I'll handle him..."

"Why?! I can take you both..." Joe said, pulling a second Pokeball "Go, Chimchar; Go, Spearow!" he shouted, calling out his two Pokemon.

"If that's the way you want it..." Renard said, beckoning his Turtwig. It reluctantly walked over then assumed a fighting stance. "Turtwig, use tackle!" Renard said. Turtwig inhaled deeply then began running at full speed toward his opponent. He started forcing himself to pick up the pace, then connected with the Chimchar. Chimchar was taken aback by the sudden force, then backed up into a tree.

"Spearow, use Pluck." Joe commanded.. Renard stared in awe as Spearow flew toward Turtwig at impossible speeds, then started pecking the tiny-leaf Pokemon ferociously and straight in the face. Turtwig collapsed, then quickly regained his composure. "Surprised, eh? Been saving this baby for something amazing..." He said, holding up a disk. He shoved it in his pocket, then looked at the battle at hand.

"Torchic, use Scratch!" Zane commanded. Torchic's talons were encased in a blue light, then he ran as hard as he could, then jumped, scratching the Chimchar repeatedly. The Torchic jumped back, his chest swelling and releasing a tremendous amount of heat. He opened his mouth, allowing a small blue flame to singe the Spearow. Torchic danced around as Zane praised him for learning Ember.

"Chimchar, counter with Scratch!" Chimchar sighed, then ran full speed toward Torchic. Torchic attempted to dodge but tripped, allowing the Scratch to hit. Torchic, being Lax in nature, simply shrugged it off, then stood back up. Zane looked over swiftly, noticing Renard fiddling around with his Pokedex. Renard smirked, then looked up

"Turtwig, aim a Giga Drain at Spearow..." Renard commanded. Turtwig inhaled as his leaf started to glow. Suddenly, Spearow started glowing green, as Turtwig appeared to receive the energy. Spearow's eyelids became heavy as it fell to the ground, unconscious. Renard cheered, then embraced his Turtwig.

"Wait, how did you know Turtwig knew Giga Drain?!" Zane asked. Renard held up his Pokedex, listing the known moves of Turtwig. "Tackle, Withdraw, and Giga Drain..." Zane mumbled.

"Surprise! This is what Oak was probably talking about..." Renard smirked, finally admitting he knew something Zane didn't..

"I-I knew that... I just didn't want to draw your attention to it..." Zane said, pulling out his Pokedex. "Uh... Torchic, use Swift!" He commanded. Torchic opened his beak, allowing thousands of flaming, blue stars to bombard the defenseless Chimchar.

"If you're right..." Joe began. A sly smirk spread across his face. "Chimchar, use Arial Ace, and take out that Turtwig!" Chimchar began rushing at the Turtwig. Renard watched in awe as Chimchar jumped high in the air and prepaired to nosedive straight toward Turtwig. Turtwig took the hit head-on, effectively knocking it out. Renard grunted, then picked up Turtwig and sat under the tree. Being a sensitive young lad, he choked back the tears and congratulated the Turtwig for a battle well fought.

"All right. Torchic, use Scratch, and give it everything you've got!" Torchic ran toward the Chimp Pokemon, raising his blue-glowing claw but missed. Chimchar instinctively unleashed an Arial Ace, effective knocking the Torchic to its knees and out of the battle. Zane growled then withdrew his Torchic. Joe smirked, then withdrew his Chimchar, then started walking in the opposite direction.

"You're going to need to be a lot stronger if you're going to think about joining the Pokemon League." Joe said with a cocky smirk. Before Zane- or anyone else, for that mater- knew what happened, he caught Joe with a jab to the stomach. Renard immediately rushed toward him, holding him back as much as he could. "I'm just saying," Joe said, almost unaffected by the assault, "That you should get just a bit better... Catch a Pokemon, then not suck when it comes to battling!" Joe said, walking past the duo that was struggling with each other.

* * *

Renard and Zane walked. They walked as the evening sun beat down on them and their exhausted Pokemon. Viridian City was finally in view, and the two ran, carrying their Pokemon toward the town. Renard wiped the sweat from his brow, then climbed up the last hill and through the last patch of grass and finally into the city limits. Right there, the first building to your left was the Pokemon Center. Zane breathed a sigh of relief, then led the way into the building. At least half of the kids starting out that day had made it there. Zane took a seat in the corner as Lance placed their Pokemon at the counter.  
There was a long awkward silence.

"So..." Renard began. "Uh...You know Oak?"

"Well, not really. Kind of; my dad knows him. More of a friend-of-a-friend deal...." Zane replied, moving one of his bangs to the side. "You were at a bad disadvantage in that match..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Renard asked, running a hand through his close-to-scarlet hair.

"I'm just saying... You were at a disadvantage... Not that big of a deal; we'll get him next time, okay?" Zane said, sighing. "I'm going out to the fields to catch a Pokemon and train my Torchic a bit."

"Okay.... I'll try and get one in the morning..." Renard said. He realized what he'd just said, then looked outside. It was already dusk? He looked around and noticed everyone had gone. How long had they been sitting in silence. Before he knew what happened, he had woken up, still on the bench with an amazing hunger. He noticed Zane passed out and covered with dirt. Possibly because he was sprawled out on the floor He sat up, grabbed a sandwich from his bag, and then shared some of it with his Turtwig, who happily ate away. Zane was up almost instantly after hearing the hungry noises from above him.

"Huh? What time is it?" Zane said in a half groggy slumber.

"Torrrr..." The Torchic groaned as it popped out of the ball. It yawned, scratched the "Z" on its back, then curled up next to Turtwig.

"N...Nido…" a Pokemon called out. Lance looked at the pinkish Pokemon behind Zane.

"Like it? It's a Nidoran!" Zane said, grinning from ear to ear. Lance pulled out his pokedex, which instantly recognized the picture.

"Nidoran Female. The Poison Pin Pokemon," The monotonic voice rang out. "Although small, its venomous barbs render this Pokémon dangerous. They stiffen their ears to sense danger. The larger its horns, the more powerful its secreted venom. The female has smaller horns." Renard looked at it in shock. The picture showed was of a blue creature, but the one shown there was obviously pink-ish. It definitely had small horns... Zane snatched the Pokedex, then whipped out his own. "Nidoran Female. The Poison Pin Pokemon," The monotonic voice rang out. "Although small, its venomous barbs render this Pokémon dangerous. They stiffen their ears to sense danger. The larger its horns, the more powerful its secreted venom. The female has smaller horns."

"There's something wrong with this. It's clearly a Male... See? It's all pink!" Zane said, picking up the venomous Pokemon. "It took 4 attempts, but I finally caught one."

"We ought to get going..." Lance said, picking up his bag and his precious Turtwig. "Besides, I've got a date with a Pidgey!"

* * *

Authors notes: Okay. You might have quite a few questions. I'll include them in the authors notes. First off, you're wondering about the "Z" ball, am I right? I am, aren't I? Well, let's get one thing straight. The "Z" ball is designed to make the Pokemon unique. It doesn't make the moves any stronger than they already are. The Swift, for example, still has a base attack of 60. The blue flames are just for show. The blue? The Flames? Well, Torchic has a Lax nature. We've decided to give each Nature a color. Lax nature is more of a light robin's egg blue. Plus, the fact that Torchic is a fire type makes the move appear as if it were on fire, but that's merely an illusion. I must again stress that the move is no more powerful than a regular Swift. The "Z" Ball idea was created by Shadow Shinobi57

Another question?! How does Turtwig know Giga Drain? Torchic knows Swift? Well, you remember Oak's rant on how each Pokemon is unique? Well, We have decided that those starters were bred, giving them awesome egg moves, such as Swift for Torchic and Arial Ace for Chimchar.

Barry, you ask? Well, I decided to include him in this fic more as an alternate reality kind of thing.

15? Yes. The characters are indeed 15 years old. This is, again, an alternate world. A world where criminal gangs would run around like they owned the place... because they DID own the place. Question. Would your parents let you go out into a world with Team Rocket running the place at age Ten? Would you let your child at ten years old go? I don't think so.

Zane? You wish for a physical description of Zane? Well, if you go to my profile and click at the link named Zane at the top of the page, you'll go to my Deviantart account. That is, if you'd like spoilers. It took a lot of modifications to that sprite... I didn't feel like re-creating that for every region. By the way, Shadow Shinobi57 created the idea and description of Zane.

Renard? Well, You can click on the link to see Renard and all of his different outfits... Be warned. We changed his name from Lance to Renard after realizing halfway through that that would contradict with the main story. The character Lance? I thought you'd get it, you sly dog

Well, there you go. Have more questions? I'll happily answer them within the hour... Good day!


	2. In Which The Two Heroes Travel

For safety purposes, this chapter will be rated a hard K+. I mean, borderline T. Reader's disgression is advised.

* * *

Renard walked into the field of tall grass from the tall connifer tree they'd stopped to rest under. He took another step, then a flock of small birds flew from the grass. Being a beginner, and having no prior knowledge of being a trainer, he tensed up. Brimming with an odd mix of confidence and anxiety, he launched a Pokeball at a random Pidgey. The smallest, slowest, and more sickly of the tiny birds was the one to get hit. The pokeball shook once. Renard balled up his fist, squeazing the pokedex. The ball shook a second time. Renard bit his lip, then clenched his pokedex harder. The ball shook a third time. Renard clenched his eyes closed, crossed his fingers, buclked his knees, and curled his toes.

"Bing..." The ball chimed. Renard looked over at Zane, who was still sitting under the tall willow eating his sandwich. Renard cracked a grin, then picked up the pokeball.

"I... I did it!" He bellowed. He threw his ball, allowing his newly obtained Pidgey to come out of the ball. He looked at the picture on the pokedex, then at his Pidgey... "Height... One foot. Weight... four pounds..." He picked up his newly befriended Pidgey. It bairly felt heavier than two pounds, and it was definitely not a foot tall... The Pidgey wasn't nearly as round as the other pidgeys and his feathers were paler. Not to mention they were definitely less plentiful than the other ones...

"Congradulations. I think your Pidgey is sick..." Zane said, lifting the wing of the Tiny Bird pokemon. It let out a soft cooing noise, then fluttered. Renard called it back into it's pokeball, then looked at Zane. "We should have Nurse Joy examine it before leaving the city."

"I think he's fine!" Renard said, holding the orb. He sighed, allowing reality to hit him. "Okay... one check up... Then we stock up and leave."

"Agreed." Zane said. It was amazing how less than twenty-four hours ago, they mildly disliked each other, and now they were joking and paling around like they'd been best friends all this time. Renard started the short walk back into town, feeling confident In his capture. It really wasn't a long walk, because in less than two minutes, he was at the pokemon center. He placed the pokeballs at the counter, then sat back in a chair, watching while the nurse examined the Pidgey.

"So, you just caught this Pidgey?" The nurse asked, handing the sickly pidgey to Renard

"Yep. Something wrong?" Lance asked. The nurse smiled, then nodded

"No, nothing is wrong! It's in tip-top condition. I think you'll be pleasently surprised by how fast it grows..." The nurse said, handing the pokeball towards Lance.

"Pidgey on steroids?" Renard asked, allowing Pidgey to roost on his arm. "Alright. I'll just have to train you..."

"Torchic!" The pokemon exclaimed, popping out of his ball. "Tor-torchic!" It started to run frantically around, before tripping and landing on Zane's boots. Zane picked up on this and placed the jealous Torchic on his arm. The trainers walked out of the center, carefully balancing their friends on their shoulder.

It wasn't long before the two were out in the field and training their new partners. So far, Zane had won five times, while Lance had won only three.

"Ready for round nine?" Zane asked, holding his pokeball out in front of him.

"You know it. Pidgey needs all the help it can get." Renard said, calling out his Pidgey. He watched as Zane called out his Nidoran. A yellow gas seeped out of the ball as the pokemon emerged. It started out by running full speed toward the pidgey, who easily avoided the attack.

"I swear, your pidgey wasn't this fast a couple of matches ago... Nidoran, use Leer!" He commanded. The Poison Pin Pokemon stared at the Pidgey, making it feel uneasy.

"Pidgey, use Gust!" Renard called. Pidgey flapped his wings repeatedly, whipping up a strong gust that sent surrounding debris towards the Nidoran. Almost instantly, Nidoran dropped to the ground, unconcious. Zane stood there, gaping as Renard and his scrawny Pidgey were making quick work of his Pokemon. Just then, Pidgey chirped, then started to glow.

"Wait... is it--"

"WHAT'S WRONG!? I knew it was sick! Go get the incompetent nurse!" Renard yelled out, flailing his arms. Pidgey's wings spred, then doubled in size. He jumped, flapping his newly grown wings and allowing his body to fill in. Renard was still flailing around in semi-ignorance and close to tears when he suddenly, he received a peck to the head.

"Pidgeotto! Pidge gee ooooo..." It called out. Renard looked at the bird, standing in awe at it's size alone. It was almost his height, and possibly still growing! "Pid?" He called, cocking his head to the side.

"Uh... Um..." Renard began. Pidgeotto fluttered his wings, then turned to the Torchic. Lance took out his Pokedex, still staring at his beastly pokemon.

"Pidgeotto," the voice rang out, "The Bird pokemon. It immobilizes its prey using well-developed claws, then carries the prey more then 60 miles to its nest. It has outstanding vision. However high it flies, it is able to distinguish the movements of its prey." The pokedex chimed, then shut down as Renard clamped it shut. Pidgeotto jumped up, taking one of Renard's hands into his talons and lifted him off of the ground, then chirped happily as Renard fell on his back and stumbled to get back up.

"Huh..." Renard mouthed. He sighed, then called the pokemon back into the ball. "Hey, Zane? I think I'm done for the day..."

"Hm? You are?" Zane asked. Renard simply nodded. "Is this because Pidgey evolved? You know, it's still the same pokemon from a couple hours ago..."

"I-I know! It's just... they really aren't the same. Pidgey was small, and now he's huge! He was probably in desperate need for a trainer, and somehow, I think he's-"

"Grown more independent?"

"Yeah..." Renard called out his Pidgeotto, who almost instantly tackled him down in a show of affection.

"See? Still the little Pidgey he was before" Zane chuckled.

"Pidgeotto!" He called, nuzzling Renard as if to say Thank You.

"I guess... So... How about we move on? We've spent a long time in Viridian City... I hear there's a really thick forrest full of interesting pokemon..." Renard said.

"Alright..." Zane said, cradling his fainted Nidoran. The duo stopped for Lunch, restored their pokemon to full health, then continued on.

* * *

"I think the forest is just up this way..." Renard said, pointing toward a building. The duo walked up to it, shaking the errie feeling in the air around them. Upon opening the door, they saw a few trainers resting in a hospitable lounge-like setting. The errie feeling was dropped instantly and they relaxed into this calming setting. There, they saw a peculiar boy sitting on the couch. He was wearing a sleeveless hooded sweatshirt with a pair of red sleeves sticking messily out of the side. He snapped out of his aparent trance, then walked over to the duo.

"Hi! You must be new trainers. Allow me to... wait... Is that a Nidoran?" The strange young lad in the sweatshirt gasped. He picked up the small animal whom Zane had been carrying, then stared at it. "Wait... This is one of those alternate coloration pokemon you read about in books, isn't it?" he lifted it up, looking eye-to-pokemon-eye with it. "Yep! It is... This here is a female, but with male coloring! I wish I had one... wait... Can we trade?" The young lad asked, his face almost lacking emotion.

"Uh... Are you usually this... what's the word... lethargic?" Zane asked, snatching the pokemon. Indeed, the boy's tone sounded bored, tired, a synonym for tired, and a synonym for bored. "And, I'm fairly positive this here is a Male. I battled like eight of them before this one stayed in it's ball."

"Wait... I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Claus... And people think I sound like that Red guy... the champion or something..." Claus muttered. "And, my good sir, _This_ is a male..." Claus pulled out a regular pokeball, then called out his pokemon. A Nidoran popped out, pink in color, and longer thorns pertruding from it's head. "I'll happily trade with you. I need to repay one of my friends for helping me raise one of my current pokemon."

"Wait... You guys are serious about Nidoran being a girl?" Zane asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah... Why does it matter? What difference does it make if a pokemon is a guy or a girl?" Renard asked.

"Well, Nidoran evolves differently according to gender. Technically speaking, Nidoran Males and Nidoran Females are completely different species. I take it you want a Nidoking?" Claus asked in a monotone voice.

"You know it!" Zane said, placing his MP3 player into his pocket.

"Am I the only one who knows practically nothing about pokemon!?" Renard yelped. They both snickered, then walked over to a machine. "So, if I get like a male Pachirisu, it might evolve into a Pikachu or something?" Renard asked.

"It's not like that. Only certan species evolve according to gender. Like Burmy, Combee, and Nidoran. Then, there are the rest of them, such as Houndour or Growlithe, who will evolve reguardless of gender, and then there are such pokemon as Snorlax, Dunsparse, Absol, and Pachirisu who cannot evolve at all." Claus explained. Renard continued to stare blankly, then Zane interjected.

"We get it. You're a walking pokedex. So, how about that trade? How do we do a trade in the first place?" Zane asked, picking up his Poison Pin pokemon.

"Wait, shouldn't we be going throught the Viridian Forest?" Renard interjected. "It's getting pretty late, and we should get to Pewter A.S.A.P."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure... Just as long as I get the trade in." Zane hastily said. Claus, unaffected by all the commotion, walked over to the pay phones. He quickly dialed a number, murmered, then hung up. He then presented the Nidoran to Zane, who pressed the button on the center three times. Claus did the same with Zane's pokeball. After that, two beams of red light shot forth from their respected pokeballs, blinding the surrounding folk. There was a "Bing" Sound, then silence.

"Was that it? I thought it would be flashier than that..." Claus said, holding Zane's "Z" ball. Claus quickly deposited it into his "BOX" via a computer, then walked out the door and into the Viridian forest.

"That guy was a... strange one..." Zane said, recatching his newly obtained Nidoran in his "Z" ball and erasing the effects of his trade.

"Yeah... Let's get going. I want to get out of the Viridian forest as fast as possible..." Renard said, fighting a whimper.

* * *

"LIES!!! ALL LIES!!! They aren't any interesting pokemon, they're all DISGUSTING ones!!!" Renard called out, narrowly avoiding a Caterpie. With his little freak-out over, he continued along the forrest path. Renard walked along the tall grass, Pigeotto by his side and Turtwig in his arms. The crisp afternoon air feeding his goosebumps as he narrowly avoided "Bug Infested, Dirty" trees. Zane was having the time of his life, braving "Disgusting" Caterpie, "Revolting" Weedles, "Vile" Wurmple, and searching for his goal. A Pikachu to call his own. However, finding no such luck, He randomly hopped from one patch of grass to another, Metal music blaring from his headphones, in hopes of finding signs of the small mouse. No such luck.

"Dude, just give it up. Like there would be a Pokemon in this entire forest that wasn't a disgusting, foul, and completely awful one." Renard yelled, making a hopefull Caterpie who'd been seeking his trainer slink away.

"Yes, there are. When we first moved here, there were a bunch of them running around. So much so that my Dad battled some just to get them out of the moving van's way." Zane said, drawing his Pokeball. "And, I think I just found one..." Zane threw the ball, sending out Torchic. Just then, a yellow blur flew from the bushes, latching onto Torchic and unleashing a powerful Thundershock. Torchic screamed in agony, then flipped away.

"Pi, Pika chu!" The pikachu taunted, using his hands to beckon the pokemon over. He started running, gaining momentum and speeding up in a circle around Torchic. "Pika Pi" it said, watching Torchic try to track the multiple copies as they flew around him.

"Launch a Swift while spining in a circle!" Zane commanded. Torchic did as he was told, launching what appeared to be flaming blue embers towards the Electric Mouse. They hit, sending the Pikachu forward and into a tree. "Good, now hit him with Scratch!" Zane commanded. Torchic's Talons started to glow Blue, then it lept in the air, scratching furiously at the electric mouse Pokemon. Pikachu dropped to the ground and Zane threw a "Z" ball, nailing the fainted Pikachu in the back. The ball shook once, twice, then opened back up. Pikachu was weak and panting, but not about to give up the fight. With the same snarky grin, he motioned with his stubby paws to 'Bring it on' and he lept into action. He jumped in the air, then delivered a powerful Thundershock, knocing Torchic out. Zane called it back, snarling as Pikachu put on a Snarky grin. "Come on out, Nidoran!" Zane threw the ball, watching as a yellow gas seeped out of the ball. "Nidoran, use... uh... use..." He stumbled. He'd neglected to take his Pokedex and check his move sets, but Nidoran seemed to know what to do. It's eyes started to glow a vibrant yellow, focusing on Pikachu who also began to glow yellow. In a matter of seconds, Pikachu was bumbling around as if dazed.

"Pii... Ka... Chu..." It wimpered, launching a thundershock and somehow managing to hurt itself.

"Alright, This is it! Go, Pokeball!" Zane yelled, Lanching a "Z" Ball at the Pikachu. It shook once, then it shook a second time. Zane was half expecting it to pop back out, but it shook a third time. "Bing..." was heard through the forest, then a cry of delight as Zane presented his catch to a bewildered Renard.

"I so totally CALLED that one! Pikachu in the viridian forest!" Zane said, holding up his pokeball.

"Your Nidoran... just used Confusion... You're not... at all concerned?" Renard asked, staring at the little pink creature itching behind it's ear with it's hind leg.

"No. Your Turtwig used Giga Drain yesterday, So should I really be concerned?" Zane pressed the button on the center of the "Z" Ball, then threw it. The ball started crackling then, in a flash of red lightning, Pikachu came out. Renard walked over to the tree he'd been letting Turtwig and Pidgeotto play under, then reached in his bag and started to set up camp. It was evident they would be in this bug-infested forest for the night.

"I'm setting up camp. Where's your tent?" Renard asked.

"Don't have one..." Zane replied, rather casually. "Wait... Pikachu, did you just flip me off?"

"What do you mean you don't have one! You're not sharing with me!" Renard called out to the arguing duo.

"No, you have the balls to flip me off, you'd better have the balls to make a move!" Zane yelled at the Pikachu who was now charging a thundershock. Zane bairly had time to react before he was dropped flat on the ground by a charge of red lightning directly from the mouse's cheeks. Pikachu simply got on all fours, kicked some dirt on Zane, then walked to the campsite, scratching at the "Z" That had suddenly appeared on his belly. Renard looked at it, watching as it sat down next to where the fire would be started. He suddenly felt a shiver crawl up his spine -More like a Weedle. He turned around, watching the pokemon sniff up and down, taunting him with it's gross, hairy nose. Renard screamed an ear-shattering high note, then threw his shirt to the ground.

"PIDGEOTTO, USE PECK OR SOMETHING!" Renard called. Pidgeotto looked ar Renard, then cocked his head to the side. "USE GUST!!! USE SKY ATTACK! USE BRAVE BIRD!!! USE SOMETHING! KILL IT!!!" Renard screamed, watching his shirt wriggle around. Pidgeotto started flapping his wings, stiring up sand, debris, and other such things, successfully detatching the bug from the shirt, where it was captured by a beginning trainer. Renard sighed, then flopped back on the ground. He grabbed some bug repelent, effectively soaking his shirt in the stuff, then clothed himself.

"AND, I was greatful enough to capture you."

"Pi Kah" Pikachu argued, kicking Zane's shin. Zane sighed, then sat by the tree. He placed his headphones in, then instantly started blasting his metal. Pikachu's ears twitched. He looked over at Zane's blasting headphones, then decided to investigate. In a flash, there was Pikachu, holding Zane's MP3 player , his master completely oblivious of his presence. The heavy music was blaring loud enough for Renard to hear it clearly five yards away, but Pikachu decided to clamber up Zane's arm in attempt to hear better. Zane noticed the sudden thirteen pounds of rodent sitting on his shoulder and turned his head, only to find Pikachu headbanging furiously to the metal. Zane grinned, turned down the music, then handed it over to Pikachu, who scampered up the tree with the volume all the way up.

"You think that's safe?" Renard asked, spreading out his sleeping bag and crawling into the tent.

"Who cares. It's something we agree on." Zane said, spreading out his sleeping bag under the tree. "Besides, if it dies, I can always have Pikachu recharge the battery. I bet he would in a second." Zane said, placeing his arms under his head.

"Dude, what if it rains? You're basically stuck out there without protection." Renard said, throwing his tarp over the tent.

"No, you don't say that, now it's going to start to..." Zane began, being interupted by a cold wind, then a cold, wet drop on the nose. Renard smirked, then crawled inside the tent. "Rain..." Zane stood there, getting pelted by raindrops, watching Pikachu scramble for the tent. Defeated, Zane crawled into the tent, making sure to put out the fire and keep his coat dry.

* * *

Renard awoke with a yawn and a ray of sunlight through the little vinyl window and beaming directly into his face. He walked outside, marveling at the sky set ablaze by the sunrise.

"Wakey wakey," He called inside the tent. Zane, who was sprawled across the tent just moments ago, was wide awake and sitting up. In almost a flash, Zane was throwing on his trenchcoat and looping his belt that housed his pokeballs. He ran outside the tent, fully energized and ready to face the day.

"Alright! I think I see Pewter City in the distance! If we get a move on, we should be able to get there by Noon and take on that pompous Gym Leader!" Zane said, taking a breath of fresh air.

"How about we eat something first?" Renard said, pulling out his Lunchbox. "It's Egg Salad~ You know you like it!~" Renard said in a sing-song voice. Zane scoffed, then sat down on a partially dry log. The duo ate in silence, allowing their pokemon to chow on some Pokefood, then they were off. Zane naturally took the lead, walking at a fast pace along with his Torchic, Nidoran, and Pikachu, who were all listening to his MP3 Player, and Renard following shortly behind, carrying his Turtwig and allowing his Pidgeotto to fly beside him along with his Caterpie...

"Renard, you caught a Caterpie?" Zane asked, noticing Pidgeotto's hitchiker. Renard's face went blank as he looked back.

"Pidgeotto, don't panic, but there's a Caterpie on your back... Just quickly turn around and use gust..." Renard said in a shaky voice. Pidgeotto let out a sad coo as it let Caterpie off of it's back. They said their farewells and Pidgeotto caught up with the rest of the group. "Aww, don't look at me like that, they're disgusting creatures..." Renard said, trying to avoid Pidgeotto's sad eyes. Renard looked over, then tried to avoid Pidgeotto's tearfilled gaze. "Alright... I'll catch the stupid thing. But don't expect him to stay with us forever..." Renard said, pulling out a Pokeball. He threw it, hitting the Caterpie in the back. It was then that he noticed Pidgeotto shaking it's head vigorously, then smacking it with a feathered wing. The red light enveloped Caterpie, then turned blue as the pokeball bounced away.

"Hey, I bet he belongs to someone. And I bet the trainer would be relieved to have him back." Zane said, scooping up the bug pokemon. "Besides, the little fella's pretty cute..." Zane's sentence trailed off. He handed Caterpie over to Renard, who freaked out for a moment, and walked further along the path while running a hand through his hair.

"Gah! Where are you going!" Renard asked, Holding the bug as far away from him as possible. Zane walked up to the person he'd spotted, then kneeled before her.

"Do you remember when you were a little kid and you wanted a toy really bad when you went to the store, but your mom wouldn't let you get it, no matter how much you begged? Well that's how I feel about you." Zane said in the smoothest voice he could muster.

"Okay, first off creeper, I have a boyfriend. Second, I wouldn't glance at you a second time, even if you were the last creep on the planet and the only hope for humanity. Third, I'm a girl, hence, I exclusively date guys." She said, crossing her arms and leaving a dejected Zane on the ground.

"Damn... That was cold..." Renard said, poking Zane who had fallen into a fetal position. "Let's find Caterpie's trainer and get to Pewter already.

"Wait, you have Precious?" The lady asked. "Come on out, Noble!" She called, letting a Weedle pop out of the pokeball. Just then, Renard pulled out his Pokedex and rolled Zane out of the way.

"Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokemon. Beware of the sharp stinger on its head. It hides in grass and bushes where it eats leaves. It is often found in forests and grasslands. It has a sharp, toxic barb of around two inches on top of its head." it rang out. He pointed it toward Precious, the Caterpie. "Caterpie, the Worm Pokemon. It is covered with a green skin. When it grows, it sheds the skin, covers itself with silk, and becomes a cocoon. Its voracious appetite compels it to devour leaves bigger than itself without hesitation. It releases a terribly strong odor from its antennae, as well"

"Hmm... How about a battle? I want to evolve Precious into a Butterfree." She said, pointing to Renard. "I guess the loser over there can referee" she said, pointing to Zane, who let out a slew of protests.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm not too big on bug-types." Renard said, petting Pidgeotto. "If you had any others, I'd like to battle."

"Oh, come on. I'm not letting you pass until you battle me!"

"Well, in that case, I'll gladly take this fight" Zane said, pulling out his "Z" ball. "Come on out, Nidoran!" he called, realeasing Nidoran from his ball.

"Oh, I think I can take you. Come on, Precious, Use Bug Bite!" She called. Caterpie charged toward Nidoran, biting it on one of it's ears. However, halfway through the attack, Caterpie recoiled in pain, then dropped from Nidoran.

"Nidoran, use Peck" Zane said. Nidoran looked down at Caterpie with a menacing grin, then jabbed it with it's horn. Caterpie squealed, then backed away. Nidoran charged it, ramming it once again with it's horn. "Alright, now use Confusion." Nidoran's eyes flashed a vibrant yellow, and soon that yellow energy surrounded the Worm Pokemon. Caterpie didn't appear to be taking any damage, however.

"Caterpie, use String Shot, followed by tackle." the lady commanded. However, Caterpie didn't move. It suddenly colapsed, clearly unconsious. She squealed, then called it back into the Pokeball. "Alright, Fine. Come on out, Noble" She yelled, realeasing her Weedle.

Zane didn't have to issue an order. Nidoran's eyes started to flash Yellow, and soon, Weedle was encased within a yellow aura. Weedle tried to resist the attack, but failed and was sent flying to the ground. Nidoran charged the bug and nailed it with a Peck to the face. Weedle was knocked unconsious immediately. She called the bug pokemon to it's ball, then turned to them.

"Alright. Just... Go on..." she said, glaring at Zane as he pulled Nidoran into it's ball. Renard and Zane walked past the Bug Catcher, making a quick dash through the tall grass. After a mile or two and not a pokemon in sight, they approached a building. Finally, they had made it to Pewter!

* * *

Okay, time for my famous "Talk with Jerry" time. May contain Spoilers. Don't like, read no further. But remember to review. Please, I beg you!

You may or may not be wondering about that fellow, Claus. Well, he belongs to 1950's TV Family, AKA Hakkyou. One of my friends. Don't worry, he isn't just some random emotionless loser who just got a shiny he's a legit character. You'll see more of him in the future. Don't worry, you'll love the silly man :o

Renard. Yes, he has a mortal fear of bugs. But if you've been to my page and have looked over the spoilers I presented there, then you'll see... a contradiction X3

Pidgeotto. Yes, first evolution in the fic. You remember how easy it was to evolve the bird. This was basically my reaction to my first evolution. I was like 5, and I literally started crying, thinking I'd lost my pidgey forever. It was cute.

Confusion? With a Nidoran? Huh? Yes! Aparently, as of HG/SS, Confusion is an egg move of the Nidoran family! YAY!

Wait, I thought that Nidoran was the result of a trade, What happens when it stops obeying him? Well, I thought of that. That's why I had him realease the nidoran, then recapture him. Problem solved. Oh, don't look at me like that. It's more realistic (Realistic? In a pokemon FANFIC? Contradictions!) that way

Metalhead Pikachu? Yes. Will he like Ketchup? INTERNET MEMES!!!

Egg Salad? Renard's favorite food. In the cartoon, there are actual animals coexisting alongside Pokemon. Who's to say there aren't any chickens? So, yes. Egg salad. Yum.

Oooh, that's gotta hurt. As a running gag, Zane get's rejected in the most horrifying of ways. Trust me, there... MIGHT be some good ones... that MIGHT just be the beginning. That MIGHT just be tame compaired to the torture he will endure.

Precious and Noble? I designed the final bug catcher, the only required fight in Viridian Forrest, to be a girl with both a Caterpie and Weedle. Sue me.

Pidgeotto and his Caterpie? You will soon learn that Pidgeotto is a compassionate and caring pokemon. Especially when it comes to Bug, Ghost, and Poison types. The three type Renard abhors! Le GASP!

PKRS. Nuff said right there.


	3. In Which The Two Heroes Obtain A Badge

"Come on, It's just up ahead" Renard said, cradling his Turtwig and running at top speed up the hill. Zane quickly zoomed past him, holding his Pikachu and leaving a trail of dust behind him. It was official. At 3:32 in the afternoon, They had arrived at Pewter City. A city of pure slate, it appeared. It was definitely huge. Renard started down the stairs with Pikachu and Turtwig, avoiding the stones sitting on them and the sign advertising them. Zane, however, wasn't as lucky. He landed on one stone the wrong way and started the long dissent down the stairs the rough way.

"Holy crap, are you okay?" Renard asked, catching up with Zane. Zane nodded, hopped to his feet, and ran directly to his left. Renard was left cradling the two Pokemon, staring in confusion.

"Um, hi, can I hel-" a lady sitting in a cafe asked. Zane bend down to one knee and grasped her hand, mustering up the smoothest voice he could.

"You know, when you and I get old and your son/daughter comes up to me and says 'Daddy, how did you meet mommy?' I'm gonna have to tell him/her how quiet you were, or how difficult you were being." Zane said, holding her hand. Zane felt a stinging slap across the face knock him to the ground, followed by thousands of volts of electricity from the Plusle she was cradling Renard just sighed and grasped Zane's hand and drug him across town to the Pokemon Center.  
Upon entering the building, Zane hopped to his feet and started up the computer. Renard just sighed, then placed the pokeballs on the counter for the nurse to treat. It was quite a wait, but after she was done, Renard turned to Zane.

"Yeah, alright mom, I'll see you later."

"Bye dear..." She said, waiving at the video screen.

Renard thought for a second. He wondered how his mom had been not having to keep him in line all of the time. He decided to break the tense air with a joke. "So, you called your mom? I didn't know you were capable of displaying emotion." Renard said, smiling at Zane. Who gave him an unamused look.

"Look, don't make a big deal out of it... Anyway, I have the directions to the gym. We have to head up the hill toward the museum, make a left, followed by another left, then another. Then, there you go!" Zane said, pulling his trench coat on. Renard let out a deep sigh, then grabbed his Turtwig.

A left followed by two more? That was a rather convoluted path, he thought. "Why not just make a right? Wait, what's a gym anyway?" Renard said, once again displaying his ignorance as a trainer.

"A wall keeps us from taking a right, first of all; and second, how do you not know what a gym is?" Zane said, picking up his Torchic from the counter. "A gym is basically a battle with a pushover who gives you clearance into the Indigo Plateau Conference. Come on, we don't have much time."

"Doesn't sound all that appealing, to me. Plus, We have all the time in the world! I'm going to the library, then the museum, then to get some lunch, then possibly go see a movie. I'm going to eat my weight in cheeseburgers and fries for dinner, what do you want?" Renard asked, pulling out the travel brochure he received at the front desk.

"What, Dinner? Are you kidding me? It'll take a five minutes to roast this fool, then we're leaving." Zane said, calling out Nidoran and Pikachu. In just a few minutes, they were running up the hill to the gym that lay near the top.

Renard looked on from the doors of the Pokemon Center, wondering where the Library was. He was determined not to look like a fool again.

* * *

Zane looked up at the gym, then at his Pokemon He'd been ignorant to the fact that it was a rock-type gym, and the fact that two of his three Pokemon were at a a doubtful sigh, he opened the doors to the gym, looking at the large building. The large stadium was covered in rocky terrain.

"I'm Brock! I'm Pewter's Gym Leader! I believe in rock hard defense and determination! That's why my Pokémon are all the Rock-type! Do you still want to challenge me?" a voice asked. Suddenly, the lights flashed on, revealing a trainer only about three years older than Zane.

"Yes, I do." Zane responded, holding out his Torchic.

"Fine then! Show me your best!" Brock said, hopping down from his rock. "Come on out, Geodude. Challenger has the first move."

"Fine. Go, Torchic! Start off with an Ember!" Zane commanded. Torchic's mouth opened wide, allowing dozens of tiny, blue fireballs to connect with Geodude. Geodude seemed unaffected, however he sported a burn.

Brock smirked, watching Torchic spurting fire in a futile attempt to damage Geodude. "Fire will do nothing to my amazing rocks. Geodude, hit him hard with a tackle." Geodude slammed into Torchic with brute force, then smirked as it tried to regain it's composure.

"Oh yeah, Torchic, use..." Zane's mind drew a blank. All of Torchic's moves were all of the normal type save for Ember. "Use Focus Energy," Zane said. Torchic took a deep breath, it's blue aura showing. Geodude slammed into it once more, knocking Torchic onto it's back, where it fell unconscious

"You know what, Go Nidoran!" Zane said, calling Torchic back into it's pokeball. He grabbed a pokeball from his belt, throwing the object into the fray. A vibrant yellow gas seeped out of the ball, Nidoran following suit. "Use confusion, followed by Double Kick," Zane commanded. Nidoran jumped up, his eyes flashing Yellow, Geodude was thrown to the ground in an instant, then his face connected to two paws and overbearing force. Geodude, however, seemed unfazed by the onslaught.

"Geodude, use Rock Tomb." Brock commanded. "Follow up with Defense Curl." He added. Geodude, started chucking random rocks at Nidoran, effectively sealing him in while damaging him at the same time. Nidoran broke free, just long enough to watch Geodude roll at him. Nidoran was smacked in the face by the rock, then in the back, then once again in the front, then again in the back, then one last time in the front before Nidoran was truly unconscious and not just faking it. Zane looked at Geodude with a horrified look plastered across his face. He looked at his last Pokemon, Pikachu, who was hiding behind his leg and shivering. Zane grabbed Nidoran's pokeball, calling the Pokemon back. Wordlessly, he picked up Pikachu and left the building.

* * *

The sun was shining bright in the sky, but that wouldn't please Zane. He stepped outside the gym, and was met by Renard.

"Hey, how'd the battle go? I want to see the badge!" Renard said, handing him the half an egg salad. When Zane simply sighed, Renard picked up on it instantly. "Oh well, there'll be other battles."

"Not if I get trampled like in there..."

"That bad?" Renard winced.

"He's a rock-type gym leader. And Gym leaders aren't anyone to take lightly. They're strong beyond belief. I barely made a dent in his Geodude... and it's most likely his weakest-"

"I want to fight him." Renard said, a fiery determination present in his eyes. "There's a guy in the museum, and he gave me some hints as to how to use Turtwig's Giga Drain effectively. Not to mention Turtwig showed me his Withdraw, which is almost impenetrable! And, I checked out this book at the library. It's all about Type match-ups and it has information about every move known to the pokemon world," Renard said, walking through the doors. Zane grabbed his shoulders, a grave look on his face.

"You don't understand. He's strong. Not just strong, his defense is rock-hard. If you're not careful, He. Will. End. The. Match. In. One. Blow." Zane warned.  
Renard smirked, then walked into the building. Zane walked in beside him, listening to Brock's speech once again. Once Geodude was released from his ball, he was zapped with a visible green energy. "Alright, Withdraw!" Renard said in a sing-song tone. Turtwig's leaves dripped a bit of water onto it's back, then it retracted its appendages into it's shell.

"Geodude, use Defense Curl!" Brock said, pulling out Geodude's pokeball just in case. Turtwig jumped into the air, releasing himself from the withdrawn position, then launched a powerful Giga Drain, knocking Geodude unconscious immediately Zane just stared in shock, almost dropping Pikachu on the ground as he watched Turtwig walk back to Renard, completely unscathed and altogether untouched by the Pokemon who had trounced his own. Brock smiled, then pulled out his other Pokemon "Well, I wasn't expecting this. You're quite the trainer, Renard. I have to say, you've put on a good show..." Renard gulped as a look of deathly seriousness swept over Brock's face "... Until Now. Go, ONIX"

Brock threw the pokeball toward the field, watching it release the giant Pokemon

"T-t-t-that thing's frickin huge!" Renard commented, watching the 29 foot snake wrap itself loosely around Brock before spiraling toward Turtwig in an outrageous Tackle.

"Quick, use withdraw!" Renard yelped, stepping to the side of Onix. Turtwig's leaves secreted more water, then he flipped himself back into the shell just in time for Onix to hit him. Turtwig went spinning into the wall, bouncing off it and shooting across the gym. Onix chased after the turtle to no avail, slamming into walls and eventually tiring himself out.

"Now, finish it off with Giga Drain!" Renard yelled. Turtwig slammed into Onix, latching itself onto its back and absorbing all of the remaining energy from the creature.

"You're kidding..." Zane said in awe as Turtwig returned to Renard.

Renard grasped Turtwig and swung him around. He approached Brock who had a slight smirk on his face. Renard stared at him, knowing what would come next.

"I took you for granted, and so I lost. As proof of your victory, I confer onto you this, the official Pokemon League Boulder Badge." Brock said, facing his Onix and tossing a silver badge over his shoulder. "There are all kinds of Trainers in this huge world of ours. You appear to be very gifted as a Pokemon Trainer. So let me make a suggestion.. Go to the Gym in Cerulean and test your abilities."

Renard thanked Brock, then turned to leave, noticing Zane had gone missing.

* * *

"And... That's why I need your help..." Renard said to the scientist. He appeared to think about it for a while, then shrugged, going back to his work of analyzing a bit of Amber.

"Sorry kid. I don't think I can help your little friend." He said, snorting after each sentence.

"Is there any way POSSIBLE I could persuade you?" Renard said, clasping his hands together.

The young man looked at Renard, then reached into his pocket. "Never thought you'd ask. I need this Old Amber taken to the Pokemon Lab on Cinnabar Island. We think there might be the DNA of an ancient Pokemon inside of it," The scientist said, handing Renard a necklace with a rather large hunk of Amber at the end.

Renard looked at the center. It appeared to be a solid chunk of amber about the size of a small light bulb. In the dead center of the rock was what appeared to be a chunk of skin that made a gray rectangle, almost like an orange eye. "Deal. Knowing Zane, he's probably training his Pokemon down on Route Two..." I thought aloud.

"Hang on there, shorty. I need to know what his Pokemon are before I can help. Need to bring the right equipment." The scientist said.

"Well, he has a Torchic, a Pikachu, and a Nidoran."

"Then I can teach them Seismic Toss. Well, the Torchic and the Pikachu, anyway. Nidoran could probably learn Counter."

Renard smiled, then lead the tutor toward Zane's direction. It was a good fifteen minutes before they found Zane, who was sitting down, carefully observing his Pokemon "Oh. Hey." Zane said, sighing and staring at his Pokemon

"So, what are you doing?" Zane said, watching his Pikachu tease his other Pokemon Torchic launched an ember at pikachu, then ran behind Zane while fighting to hold back tears. Zane cracked a smile when Nidoran appeared to be scolding Pikachu.

Renard continued to watch with intrigue as Pikachu decided to shock Nidoran with his exotic reddish electricity. Nidoran was fuming, completely ready to take the scoffing Pokemon down. He charged, attempting to take Pikachu by surprise, but Pikachu just stepped to the side, wagging his finger at Nidoran. Suddenly, he began to levitate. Pikachu gasped, trying to resist the confusion, but alas, he was thrown against a tree. Nidoran took the opportunity to charge Pikachu, ramming into the mouse and receiving a shock of electricity.

"Hey, Nidoran, try to use confusion. Surround yourself with it." The scientist said, making off hand movements. "Now, Pikachu, I want you to try to lift Nidoran above your head. Then throw him with a spin toward the ground."

Nidoran, completely perplexed by this, surrounded himself with the aura emitted by the Confusion. Pikachu, also slightly confused, picked Nidoran up, struggling to lift him above his head. Suddenly, his arms started to glow a neon red and lifting the Poison Pin Pokemon with ease. Pikachu jumped unusually high, grasping Nidoran around the waist and spiraling toward the ground, slamming Nidoran's head in the ground. Pikachu, completely shocked by this new power began to jump for joy until he was surrounded with Confusion's aura. Suddenly he found himself high in the air and spiraling toward the ground in a similar fashion.

"Those... were Counter and Seismic Toss, weren't they?" Renard said, completely awestruck by the two injured Pokemon. "I... Wow..." Renard said, sitting next to Zane. The two watched as Torchic grasped Pikachu by the tail with his beak, spinning it around. Pikachu yelped as Torchic's speed increased and he was flung into a tree, Bowser style. Pikachu, completely unconscious, was called back into its pokeball.

"Zane, might I add that your Pokemon are completely IMPOSSIBLE? It usually takes Pokemon a week to learn moves as powerful as those, but your Pokemon appear to have mastered it in no-time flat." The scientist commented. "I just don't want them straining themselves. I'd like to... see..." His voice trailed off as he saw Zane running his Pokemon toward the Pokemon center with the biggest smirk on his face.

* * *

"I'm Brock! I'm Pewter's Gym Leader! I believe in rock hard defense and determination! That's why my Pokémon are all the Rock-type! Do you still want to challenge me?" a voice asked. Suddenly, the lights flashed on, revealing a trainer only about three years older than Zane.

"Yeah, yeah. You have to do this for EVERY trainer that crosses your path?"

"Oh, it's you again. Alright, hopefully we can do better this time."

"Damn skippy." Zane remarked, pulling out his pokeball. "Come on out, Pikachu."

"Come on out Geodude.."

Wordlessly, the two Pokemon charged. Geodude curled up into a ball, glowing white as his defense rose. Suddenly, it started rolling toward Pikachu. Pikachu held out a paw, stopping Geodude in its tracks and pretending to check his nails and yawn. Pikachu glanced at Geodude, lifting it above his head and jumping as high as twenty feet. They appeared to stand in mid air, Pikachu holding Geodude's arms behind it's back while simultaneously standing on it. Pikachu smirked, then made a jerking motion, setting the two in a spiraling motion as they fell to the earth. It's needless to say Geodude was knocked unconscious.

Brock grabbed his pokeball, calling Geodude back to his master. "All right. I see you have some new tricks up your sleeve, but, you're not taking Onix down so easily.

"Return, Pikachu." Zane said, pulling the exhausted Pokemon into it's pokeball. "Now, go Nidoran."

"Go, ONIX" Brock called out, throwing his pokeball toward the celling. "Now, use Rock Tomb"  
Onix slammed his tail into the ground, sending a large amount of rocks to fly toward Nidoran.

"Alright, use Counter!" Zane commanded. The rock tomb surrounded Nidoran, caving in on the poor Pokemon. However, Nidoran wasn't down and out. The yellow aura surrounded the boulders, sending them back at Onix. "Now, Double Kick!" Zane commanded. Nidoran charged the rock snake, kicking it repeatedly. Onix grunted as each hit made contact. He swept his tail across the battlefield, slamming Nidoran into a wall and officially knocking him unconscious. However, Onix appeared to be suffering from the Poison Point. Zane sighed, grabbing his pokeball. "Go Torchic" He said, watching Torchic pop out of the ball, then run behind his leg in fear of the giant snake.

"That thing? That all you've got?" Brock said, commanding Onix to charge. Zane stood there, contemplating whether to shield Torchic or jump out of the way. Before he knew what happened, Torchic was running toward Onix, dodging the snake's attack like it was nothing, then grabbing the snake's tail with it's beak... a mere centimeter away from trampling Zane. Torchic made a quick jerk of the head, then started the Seismic Toss process. Onix let out a loud roar as it began to spin around.

"Good work, Torchic. Just a bit more momentum!"

"Onix, try to drag your body as low to the ground as possible for resistance!"

"I don't think so! Torchic, use Seismic Toss!" Torchic jumped into the air, then attempted a front flip. Onix let our a roar as it was spun around then suddenly slammed into the ground. Torchic walked away from the unconscious snake, making sure to kick some sand behind him. "Good job buddy!"

"Torchic tor!" It said, nuzzling Zane.

"Dude! There you are! Your Pokemon need to rest. It would be... completely..." Renard said, staring at the unconscious snake. "Did your torchic just take down an onix?"

"Yep. Torchic and Pikachu both."

"So, basically, they suffered no adverse effects from taking down a beast like Onix?" Renard asked. Suddenly, Torchic let out a long sigh. The room was suddenly illuminated by a glow Torchic was emitting. The duo watched as Torchic's legs grew almost three times their original length. Zane was amazed as the pokemon's wings suddenly grew in size and formed into an arm-like appendage. Finally, the body grew into a pair-like figure and let out a loud cry.

"COMBUSKIN!" It yelled, jumping into the air and punching at the sky.

* * *

Renard smirked as they passed the library. There was a book he'd been meaning to check out, and he was thankful he'd been in such a rush to check it out. A small bit of depression set in as they walked by the movie theatre. Finally, in front of a little store on the outskirts of town, Zane stopped abruptly. The two stood there, letting the setting sun beat down on their bodies.

"Hey, you know, our parent's wouldn't really know if we were to split up and go our separate ways." Zane said, grabbing some money from his pocket. "Combuskin and I are going on to Mount Moon. You don't have to come if you don't want to."

Renard contemplated this. He wouldn't have to put up with Zane's attitude. Then again, traveling by himself would prove an incredibly boring task. Finally, he spoke.

"Why not? Traveling in a group sounds a bit more interesting than traveling alone. Besides, you'd be lost without me." Renard said, poking Zane in the shoulder.

"What? No I wouldn't! I would have figured it out eventually!"

"Not a chance."

"Don't make me leave you right there." Zane said, pointing to where Renard stood. Renard laughed for a bit, then walked into the little store. They stocked up on their supplies then headed toward the unknown dangers of the mountain ahead.

"OUT OF THE WAY! MY BREAKS AREN'T WORKING, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" They heard. Suddenly, a boy around their age same barreling through on his bike, crashing into a tree.

"Holy crap! You think he's okay?" Zane said, running towards him.

"Ye... yeh, 'm alright..." the boy said, emerging from the wreckage. He rubbed his face, then ran his fingers through his hair. The duo looked at him, then gasped as one of his Pokeballs burst open, revealing a rather healthy looking Mudkip to the duo. "My name is Ronan, and this is Mudkip."

* * *

Sorry if I haven't been updating. Don't worry your heads, I've just been, you know, busy. I haven't had a computer over the summer, and it's been rather difficult to work with all that writers block.

Now, I assume you have some questions. Like, who Ronan and Mudkip are and why Nidoran knew Counter before they even made it to Celadon City?

Well, I could tell you, but I'm extremely tired... good night, and happy reading.


End file.
